“Citizens of the Southeastern Pennsylvania region rely heavily on transportation provided by the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (“SEPTA”) and that reliance would increase still further if the system was improved,” Nutter commented. “One of the many critiques I heard from my constituents when I served the 4th Councilmanic District was that SEPTA does not serve them well and fails to communicate with them. That recurring problem causes an unnecessary tension between SEPTA and the neighborhoods.”

Nutter provided recommendations to assist in resolving that problem. He called upon the Commonwealth to reconfigure the composition of the SEPTA board to provide Philadelphians with greater representation. Nutter also called upon Philadelphia to solve the problem. He stated, “Philadelphia must do its part. Philadelphia needs a Deputy Mayor for Transportation, who would be the liaison between SEPTA and the citizens of Philadelphia.”

Nutter agreed with the Commission’s assessment that SEPTA remains under-funded and commented, “In order for the funding crisis to be resolved, there has to be a joint partnership between the Commonwealth and the five counties to increase funding.”

Governor Rendell created the Commission in 2005 to examine the funding crisis plaguing Pennsylvania’s highway, bridge and transit systems. The Commission is seeking input before it fashions a final report in November.